Ball-lacing device



Jan. 12 1926. 1,569,841

, P. c. MANN BALL LACING DEVICE v Filed March 15. 1924 E9 5 INVENTOR.

PMW a m I Patented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES 'PLINYC. MANN, OF O'BEELEY, COLORADO.

BALL-LACING DEVICE.

Application flld larch 15, 1924. Serial No. 699,519.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PLINY C. MANN, a citizen of the United States of. America, residin at Greeley, in the county of Weld and gtate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball Lacing Devices, of. which the following is This invention relates to a device for compressing and holding a pneumatic ball, such as a foot ball or basket ball, while it is being laced, and has for its principal object the provision of an eflicient device which will compress the ball and force and hold the edges of the lacing opening to gether and in a position in which the lacing may be easily inserted in the eyelets.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which result in simplicity, economy, and efficiency and which will become more apparent from the followin description.

In the following detail escription of the invention reference is had to the accomof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective 'view of my improved lacing device in use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

The invention comprises abase board 21 upon which an arcuate member 22 is secured. Two bands, preferably of flexible metal, 23 and 24 are hingedly secured to the extremities of the member 22. The band 23 "terminates at its upper extremity in a hook 25 and to the upper extremity of the band 24: a lever 26 is secured which carries a yoke 27.

In use, the ball is inserted between the members 23 and 24, as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the yoke 27 is brought into engagement with the hook 25 while the lever 26 is in the vertical or broken line position of Fig. 2. The lever is now forced downward to the horizontal position thus drawing on the yoke 27 and forcing the bands 23 and 24: together. This operation places the edges of the lacing opening in the proper position for inserting the lacing.

To accommodate various sizes of balls several openings 28 are provided in the lever 26 for changing the position of the yoke 27 thereon.

It is prefered to form the member 22 of sheet metal turned, at its sides, arounu a reinforcing rod 20. The rod projects at each end of the sheet metal and serves as a hinge pin for the bands 23 and 24. The

reinforcing rod also serves to prevent the ball from rollin from the member 22 while the bands are being adjusted.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired and understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departmg from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire secured by Letters Patent is 1. A device for holding foot balls and the like while being laced comprising a fixed curved member; movable curved members pivoted thereto and means contacting with the free extremities of said movable curved curved bands hinged to said base member and arranged to contact with opposite sides of-the ball; a lever pivotally secured to the extremity of one of the bands and having openings formed therein; a link arranged to engage said openings and a hook shaped extremity on the other of the bands for detachably engaging said link.

3. A device for clamping pneumatic balls comprising a horizon-tally disposed curved base member arranged to support said ball; two curved members each pivoted at its one extremity to said base member and arranged to contact with opposite sides of said ball and means contacting with the free extremity of each of said curved members adapted to draw said extremities together.

4. A device for clamping pneumatic balls comprising the combination a curved base member arranged to support said ball; lLu-u curved members each pivoted at its one extremity to said base member and arranged to contact with opposite sides of said ball and means contacting with the free extremity of each of said curved members adapted to draw said extremities together, said means comprising a lever pivotally secured to the extremity of one of the curved members and a link arranged to connect said lever with the free extremity of the other of said bands.

5. A device for clamping pneumatic balls comprising the combination a curved base member arranged to engage the bottom of a ball; two curved members each pivoted at its one extremity to said base member and arranged to contact with opposite sides of said ball and means contacting with the free extremity of each of said curved members adapted to draw said extremities together, said means comprising a lever pivotally secured to the extremity of one of the curved members and a link arranged to connect said lever with the free extremity of the other of said bands, and a projection on said other band adapted to engage said link.

6. A device for clamping pneumatic balls comprising a curved base member arranged to engage the bottom of a ball; two curved members each pivoted at its one extremity to said base member and arran ed to contact with opposite sides of said bal and means contacting with the free extremity of each of said curved members adapted to draw said extremities together, said means comprising a lever pivotally secured to the extremity of one of the bands and a link arranged to connect said lever with the free extremity of the other of said bands, and a hook-shaped extremity on said other band adapted to be engaged by said link.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PLINY C. MANN. 

